Thursday 07th September 2006
Up at my normal time of 06.10 and followed my normal morning routine of yelling at Gavin to get-up at 06.25. Left the house at 06.30 to collect Dominique. Gavin was dropping us all of at Leeds and Bradford airport on his way to work. It isn’t actually on his way to work but never mind. Dominique was outside her house at the pre-arranged time of 07.00 so straight to my Mum’s without any delay. Arrived at my Mum’s 5 mins early so I had time to nip to the loo before setting off to Julie’s. Ever notice a fully loaded car moves slower?. Arrived at LBA around 08.45, would have been earlier but morning traffic around that area is a nightmare. Gavin took a quick photo of us all before setting off to work and of course to begin 4 days of missing me.
Things started to go a bit bonkers here. When my Mum got in the car none of us had noticed her bag was smaller than a child’s lunchbox. After we had creased ourselves laughing at the minute bag which couldn’t possibly have fitted more than 2 pairs of underwear in it my Mum bragged about all the stuff she had managed to get in, socks, underwear, nighty, t-shirt, jeans, shoes and a towel. Erm, Mum haven’t you got any shower gel or toothpaste? Yes dear, it’s here in my hand luggage. Apparently my Mum doesn’t watch the news. After unpacking my Mum’s hand luggage into the spare space Dominique had thoughtfully left in her case we were ready to check in but first Dominique and I had to wait for the first 5 of many, many minutes spent waiting while my Mum and Julie had one last cigarette. It was here we discovered they had around 12 lighters between them. Another round of re-packing took place before we were finally ready to check in 30 mins after arriving at LBA.
We wondered over to the Jet2.com checking in hall and joined the queue. After around 10mins we were done and ready to go through to the departure lounge but once again my Mum and Julie saw only another cigarette opportunity. While waiting for them Dominique and I did, well nothing but wait. My nerve’s were now on edge. It has never taken me so long to get from the entrance to the departure lounge. When my Mum and Julie returned my Mum showed us the vest top she was wearing that she had bought from the Disney store and mentioned she was also wearing the matching knickers. Oh, Lord my Mum was wearing Eeyore Pyjama’s. Dominique, Julie and myself could not stop laughing, having a crazy Mum certainly make’s the day more interesting.
Once past security, which turned out to be a bit of a joke as Julie had gotten a few of her many lighter’s through we went for breakfast. I had a cup of tea and a sausage bap, very nice and at £5.39 it didn’t seem too bad for airport prices. Dominique had beans on toast and a cappuccino, £4.84. She had to wait age’s because the girl serving burnt her toast twice. The other 2 both had a Full English and coffee at £6.84 each. I was served first and my Mum and Julie got caught for a while behind Dominique and her burnt toast. They used these few minutes to quiz Dominique about Gavin. Dominique and her boyfriend Dan have known Gavin for 15 years and my Mum and Julie wasted no time in gaining any information Dominique may have that I haven’t freely given.
This grilling annoyed me no end, I am fully aware a parent’s aim is to protect their child but I am 28 years old and any parental interference my Mum attempts to impose is far too late. She was far too busy to pay me much attention as a child so now I have no time for stuff like this, I also very much feel she does this sort of stuff because she believes it what is required of her as a parent, probably a recent storyline on Eastenders, and not because she feels any need to. All about keeping up appearances of been a good Mother. Don’t get me wrong, I am grateful for the food & warm bed but in reality that’s were it ended. The only issue’s I have with this are when attempt’s are made to be ‘Motherly’ now it is no longer a legal requirement.
Breakfast was over around 10.30 so we wondered over to the gate. We didn’t know which gate it would be but they were only a couple and they were very close so we couldn’t be far wrong wherever we stood. And look, there’s a designated smoking area. I have never seen 2 grown women move so fast. My Mum and Julie made a lot of friends over the next half an hour, the were the only one’s to get a lighter through security. Of course they were also the only 2 that had tried.
The flight was called at 11.00 and it was just a few hundred yards walk to the plane were my Mum broke down. My Mum is scared of heights, not of flying as such and despite having flown many times she chose today to have ‘a moment’. As she has flown a lot since the first time 14 years ago I had forgotten about her fears and skipped ahead to the plane and sat down. After a few minutes we wondered were my Mum had gone and discovered she was at the back of the plane were we had boarded, holding everyone else up behind her while been comforted by a flight attendant who was trying to discover if she was flying with anyone else. Once I realised what the problem was I went to collect her and had to literally drag her to her seat and strap her into it.
The flight was away with no problems on time at 11.15 and the good weather meant rather than the scheduled 1hr and 25mins we would be there in 1hr 6mins which pleased my Mum no end, With the flight been so short we barely had time to drink the cup of tea we bought for £1.60 before the approach to Charles De Gaulle. I would have no hesitation’s in using Jet2.com again. The plane was clean and tidy and the staff very friendly in both direction’s with the outgoing crew been very nice to my Mum and her tears.
After landing in Terminal 3 at 13.20 local time we headed over to Terminal 1 to collect the car. This was far easier said than done. First luggage claim which was very quick then we needed another cigarette break. Once the addict’s had been satisfied we set off following the sign’s for T1. I had thought there would be a bus to take us but nothing seemed obvious so we walked and after following the T1 sign’s we eventually ended up at some sort of bus/train terminus. I convinced Dominique to ask a bus driver if he was going to T1 and luck was on our side. About 15mins later we were dropped of outside T1 and what a dump it was. This has to be the most ugly, dirty airport I have ever been to, and we had just come from LBA so our standards weren’t high. After a lot of confusion and wondering we found an information desk and discovered car hire was the 2mins walk anti-clockwise around the big circle.
The car hire area made me even more confused. I had booked with Easycar who told me my car was with Alamo, so far so good, In actual fact Alamo had sold it to National. I am curious as to how many companies got paid when I hired this car and how much it would have been had I booked with National directly? I will never know the answer as I have no intention of using this company ever again, The lady who served me was beyond rude. She took 3 phone call’s while filling in my paperwork and the company was no better. I got my receipt back at 14.27, and the car keys at 15.15. The reason for this was ‘we have no car’s today’ excuse me? I booked and paid for this car in February and now your telling me partly in French partly in English you have no car’s available??? A disgusted glare is a universal language after 30mins of waiting the previously rude lady got her co-worker to call upstairs to the car park/valet area to see if it was ready yet. Once we had the key’s a further 15mins later we now had the task of finding the car. When the lady at National gave me my receipt she also gave me instruction’s to get to the car park, initially I had thought she was telling me to go there and then to collect the key’s but after a few gestures and diagrams I realised she was saying that a man would come from the car park to give me the keys and bay number then I was to go find this spot on my own. Good system. By now my Mum and Julie had smoked around 8 cigarette’s and were too giddy to follow simple instructions so I went ahead and Dominique took up the rear to ensure nobody went missing. Once the car park was located it was easy enough o find the car, I just kept pressing the remote central locking while wondering up and don the row’s until one responded. The bay number I had been given turned out to be correct if you ignored the numbered car parking spaces and looked only at the numbers on the wall.
So now we are all in the car, luggage in the boot everyone has seatbelt’s on. Let’s go. Gavin had printed me instructions on how to get from the airport to Collegien where the Motel was. I have stayed here 3 times before but it isn’t always easy to find. Once again luck was on out side. After driving through the airport I was taken straight onto the right motorway in the right direction. It took around 20mins to get to the Motel and check in using the automated machine.
When we had gotten to our rooms I gave everyone a goody bag. This bag contained Disney related stuff for them. 3 T-Shirts I had made from design’s done for me from the DISigners, Mickey pen, Minnie plush, DLRP pin, Chocolate from ebay with ‘Girls only trip to DLRP 7-10th Sept’ on the wrapper, Thornton’s chocolate and a Mickey magnet. Everyone loved their stuff and even though they knew about the T-Shirt’s they hadn’t seen them and the other stuff was a surprise. Dominique had bought me some gifts as well which I was allowed to open 1 on a morning and 1 on a night. Some chocolates, a keyring, candles and a pink inflatable radio!
After 30mins to freshen up we were on our way to Val D’Europe. I have never been here before and it seemed as good a place as any when My Mum and Julie requested some shopping time. I despise shopping but we had nothing else to do this afternoon so it was as good a time as any. A big shopping centre like this is my idea of hell. My already frayed nerves were further tried when Julie complained I had parked too far away from the entrance, I had done this as it was now very apparent neither Julie nor my Mum could go 30 seconds without a cigarette and this way they could smoke and walk and Dominique and I could pretend we were weren’t waiting around for them.
We didn’t do much at all in the shopping centre. The few shop’s we did see appeared to be designer and expensive. We did go to the massive supermarket. Three of us bought sweet’s to take to work and my mum bought a bigger bag to take her stuff back home in for 5euros. Despite this been the bargain of the year, 5euros for a small suitcase with wheels that in reality she was only going to use once as she had a small suitcase with wheels as home that she didn’t use today (I told you, crazy) my Mum insisted on looking at every suitcase with wheel’s to ensure the one she got was the most suitable. She bought the first one seen for 5euros.
After wasting 10mins deciding on a suitcase with wheels my Mum announced she needed some cat biscuits. She doesn’t have a cat. It turns out she had noticed a cat in the Motel car park and decided it was a stray and it was her mission to feed it. I disagreed with this on so many level’s. I have cat’s and am a pet lover but adopting stray animals in foreign counties are not my idea of a good idea. Flea’s is just the beginning of the many problems this type of thing could raise. However she would not be swayed and bought the cat biscuits.
Into the car and back at the Motel around 18.00. We had already decided to eat tea at the Pizza/Pasta place a few yards from the Motel and as it didn’t open until 18.30 I jumped in the shower before sitting outside with the other’s for a while watching my Mum wonder around the car park rattling a box of cat biscuit’s. Is crazy hereditary?
Del’Arte Pizza & Pasta opened at 18.30 and at 19.00 we decided we were hungry enough for tea. Dominique and I were actually starving but it appears smoking curb’s your appetite. We were the first in and were delighted to discover the menu was translated into several languages. None of the starters appealed so we all went straight for the main course. Margerita Pizza for me and Dominique, Chicken Pizza for Julie and Spaghetti Bolognaise for my Mum. Large beers for everyone expect my Mum who wanted Vodka and Lemonade. This confused the waitress as the only Vodka advertised came in a cocktail but she managed to sort my Mum out with what appeared to be a triple and a small bottle of 7up.
The food was lovely, our Pizza’s came in a heart shape which delighted us all and was very nice. Everyone expect my Mum got a desert. Julie and I got profieteroles , I wanted Lemon Meringue but they didn’t have any and Dominique decided on Banana pizza , she was most disgusted when she was presented with a Banana pizza. I was a normal pizza base with chopped banana on top and was horrid. My profitless were gorgeous. After another round of drinks we asked for the bill, 91euros plus tip so we left 100euros and wondered back to the Motel for an early night around 21.00
Jodie
DAY 2 HERE
Up at my normal time of 06.10 and followed my normal morning routine of yelling at Gavin to get-up at 06.25. Left the house at 06.30 to collect Dominique. Gavin was dropping us all of at Leeds and Bradford airport on his way to work. It isn’t actually on his way to work but never mind. Dominique was outside her house at the pre-arranged time of 07.00 so straight to my Mum’s without any delay. Arrived at my Mum’s 5 mins early so I had time to nip to the loo before setting off to Julie’s. Ever notice a fully loaded car moves slower?. Arrived at LBA around 08.45, would have been earlier but morning traffic around that area is a nightmare. Gavin took a quick photo of us all before setting off to work and of course to begin 4 days of missing me.
Things started to go a bit bonkers here. When my Mum got in the car none of us had noticed her bag was smaller than a child’s lunchbox. After we had creased ourselves laughing at the minute bag which couldn’t possibly have fitted more than 2 pairs of underwear in it my Mum bragged about all the stuff she had managed to get in, socks, underwear, nighty, t-shirt, jeans, shoes and a towel. Erm, Mum haven’t you got any shower gel or toothpaste? Yes dear, it’s here in my hand luggage. Apparently my Mum doesn’t watch the news. After unpacking my Mum’s hand luggage into the spare space Dominique had thoughtfully left in her case we were ready to check in but first Dominique and I had to wait for the first 5 of many, many minutes spent waiting while my Mum and Julie had one last cigarette. It was here we discovered they had around 12 lighters between them. Another round of re-packing took place before we were finally ready to check in 30 mins after arriving at LBA.
We wondered over to the Jet2.com checking in hall and joined the queue. After around 10mins we were done and ready to go through to the departure lounge but once again my Mum and Julie saw only another cigarette opportunity. While waiting for them Dominique and I did, well nothing but wait. My nerve’s were now on edge. It has never taken me so long to get from the entrance to the departure lounge. When my Mum and Julie returned my Mum showed us the vest top she was wearing that she had bought from the Disney store and mentioned she was also wearing the matching knickers. Oh, Lord my Mum was wearing Eeyore Pyjama’s. Dominique, Julie and myself could not stop laughing, having a crazy Mum certainly make’s the day more interesting.
Once past security, which turned out to be a bit of a joke as Julie had gotten a few of her many lighter’s through we went for breakfast. I had a cup of tea and a sausage bap, very nice and at £5.39 it didn’t seem too bad for airport prices. Dominique had beans on toast and a cappuccino, £4.84. She had to wait age’s because the girl serving burnt her toast twice. The other 2 both had a Full English and coffee at £6.84 each. I was served first and my Mum and Julie got caught for a while behind Dominique and her burnt toast. They used these few minutes to quiz Dominique about Gavin. Dominique and her boyfriend Dan have known Gavin for 15 years and my Mum and Julie wasted no time in gaining any information Dominique may have that I haven’t freely given.
This grilling annoyed me no end, I am fully aware a parent’s aim is to protect their child but I am 28 years old and any parental interference my Mum attempts to impose is far too late. She was far too busy to pay me much attention as a child so now I have no time for stuff like this, I also very much feel she does this sort of stuff because she believes it what is required of her as a parent, probably a recent storyline on Eastenders, and not because she feels any need to. All about keeping up appearances of been a good Mother. Don’t get me wrong, I am grateful for the food & warm bed but in reality that’s were it ended. The only issue’s I have with this are when attempt’s are made to be ‘Motherly’ now it is no longer a legal requirement.
Breakfast was over around 10.30 so we wondered over to the gate. We didn’t know which gate it would be but they were only a couple and they were very close so we couldn’t be far wrong wherever we stood. And look, there’s a designated smoking area. I have never seen 2 grown women move so fast. My Mum and Julie made a lot of friends over the next half an hour, the were the only one’s to get a lighter through security. Of course they were also the only 2 that had tried.
The flight was called at 11.00 and it was just a few hundred yards walk to the plane were my Mum broke down. My Mum is scared of heights, not of flying as such and despite having flown many times she chose today to have ‘a moment’. As she has flown a lot since the first time 14 years ago I had forgotten about her fears and skipped ahead to the plane and sat down. After a few minutes we wondered were my Mum had gone and discovered she was at the back of the plane were we had boarded, holding everyone else up behind her while been comforted by a flight attendant who was trying to discover if she was flying with anyone else. Once I realised what the problem was I went to collect her and had to literally drag her to her seat and strap her into it.
The flight was away with no problems on time at 11.15 and the good weather meant rather than the scheduled 1hr and 25mins we would be there in 1hr 6mins which pleased my Mum no end, With the flight been so short we barely had time to drink the cup of tea we bought for £1.60 before the approach to Charles De Gaulle. I would have no hesitation’s in using Jet2.com again. The plane was clean and tidy and the staff very friendly in both direction’s with the outgoing crew been very nice to my Mum and her tears.
After landing in Terminal 3 at 13.20 local time we headed over to Terminal 1 to collect the car. This was far easier said than done. First luggage claim which was very quick then we needed another cigarette break. Once the addict’s had been satisfied we set off following the sign’s for T1. I had thought there would be a bus to take us but nothing seemed obvious so we walked and after following the T1 sign’s we eventually ended up at some sort of bus/train terminus. I convinced Dominique to ask a bus driver if he was going to T1 and luck was on our side. About 15mins later we were dropped of outside T1 and what a dump it was. This has to be the most ugly, dirty airport I have ever been to, and we had just come from LBA so our standards weren’t high. After a lot of confusion and wondering we found an information desk and discovered car hire was the 2mins walk anti-clockwise around the big circle.
The car hire area made me even more confused. I had booked with Easycar who told me my car was with Alamo, so far so good, In actual fact Alamo had sold it to National. I am curious as to how many companies got paid when I hired this car and how much it would have been had I booked with National directly? I will never know the answer as I have no intention of using this company ever again, The lady who served me was beyond rude. She took 3 phone call’s while filling in my paperwork and the company was no better. I got my receipt back at 14.27, and the car keys at 15.15. The reason for this was ‘we have no car’s today’ excuse me? I booked and paid for this car in February and now your telling me partly in French partly in English you have no car’s available??? A disgusted glare is a universal language after 30mins of waiting the previously rude lady got her co-worker to call upstairs to the car park/valet area to see if it was ready yet. Once we had the key’s a further 15mins later we now had the task of finding the car. When the lady at National gave me my receipt she also gave me instruction’s to get to the car park, initially I had thought she was telling me to go there and then to collect the key’s but after a few gestures and diagrams I realised she was saying that a man would come from the car park to give me the keys and bay number then I was to go find this spot on my own. Good system. By now my Mum and Julie had smoked around 8 cigarette’s and were too giddy to follow simple instructions so I went ahead and Dominique took up the rear to ensure nobody went missing. Once the car park was located it was easy enough o find the car, I just kept pressing the remote central locking while wondering up and don the row’s until one responded. The bay number I had been given turned out to be correct if you ignored the numbered car parking spaces and looked only at the numbers on the wall.
So now we are all in the car, luggage in the boot everyone has seatbelt’s on. Let’s go. Gavin had printed me instructions on how to get from the airport to Collegien where the Motel was. I have stayed here 3 times before but it isn’t always easy to find. Once again luck was on out side. After driving through the airport I was taken straight onto the right motorway in the right direction. It took around 20mins to get to the Motel and check in using the automated machine.
When we had gotten to our rooms I gave everyone a goody bag. This bag contained Disney related stuff for them. 3 T-Shirts I had made from design’s done for me from the DISigners, Mickey pen, Minnie plush, DLRP pin, Chocolate from ebay with ‘Girls only trip to DLRP 7-10th Sept’ on the wrapper, Thornton’s chocolate and a Mickey magnet. Everyone loved their stuff and even though they knew about the T-Shirt’s they hadn’t seen them and the other stuff was a surprise. Dominique had bought me some gifts as well which I was allowed to open 1 on a morning and 1 on a night. Some chocolates, a keyring, candles and a pink inflatable radio!
After 30mins to freshen up we were on our way to Val D’Europe. I have never been here before and it seemed as good a place as any when My Mum and Julie requested some shopping time. I despise shopping but we had nothing else to do this afternoon so it was as good a time as any. A big shopping centre like this is my idea of hell. My already frayed nerves were further tried when Julie complained I had parked too far away from the entrance, I had done this as it was now very apparent neither Julie nor my Mum could go 30 seconds without a cigarette and this way they could smoke and walk and Dominique and I could pretend we were weren’t waiting around for them.
We didn’t do much at all in the shopping centre. The few shop’s we did see appeared to be designer and expensive. We did go to the massive supermarket. Three of us bought sweet’s to take to work and my mum bought a bigger bag to take her stuff back home in for 5euros. Despite this been the bargain of the year, 5euros for a small suitcase with wheels that in reality she was only going to use once as she had a small suitcase with wheels as home that she didn’t use today (I told you, crazy) my Mum insisted on looking at every suitcase with wheel’s to ensure the one she got was the most suitable. She bought the first one seen for 5euros.
After wasting 10mins deciding on a suitcase with wheels my Mum announced she needed some cat biscuits. She doesn’t have a cat. It turns out she had noticed a cat in the Motel car park and decided it was a stray and it was her mission to feed it. I disagreed with this on so many level’s. I have cat’s and am a pet lover but adopting stray animals in foreign counties are not my idea of a good idea. Flea’s is just the beginning of the many problems this type of thing could raise. However she would not be swayed and bought the cat biscuits.
Into the car and back at the Motel around 18.00. We had already decided to eat tea at the Pizza/Pasta place a few yards from the Motel and as it didn’t open until 18.30 I jumped in the shower before sitting outside with the other’s for a while watching my Mum wonder around the car park rattling a box of cat biscuit’s. Is crazy hereditary?
Del’Arte Pizza & Pasta opened at 18.30 and at 19.00 we decided we were hungry enough for tea. Dominique and I were actually starving but it appears smoking curb’s your appetite. We were the first in and were delighted to discover the menu was translated into several languages. None of the starters appealed so we all went straight for the main course. Margerita Pizza for me and Dominique, Chicken Pizza for Julie and Spaghetti Bolognaise for my Mum. Large beers for everyone expect my Mum who wanted Vodka and Lemonade. This confused the waitress as the only Vodka advertised came in a cocktail but she managed to sort my Mum out with what appeared to be a triple and a small bottle of 7up.
The food was lovely, our Pizza’s came in a heart shape which delighted us all and was very nice. Everyone expect my Mum got a desert. Julie and I got profieteroles , I wanted Lemon Meringue but they didn’t have any and Dominique decided on Banana pizza , she was most disgusted when she was presented with a Banana pizza. I was a normal pizza base with chopped banana on top and was horrid. My profitless were gorgeous. After another round of drinks we asked for the bill, 91euros plus tip so we left 100euros and wondered back to the Motel for an early night around 21.00
Jodie
DAY 2 HERE
